How to join a soccer academy in America is not as hard as you might think, but practical steps I will recommend will aid you in your quest to secure entry and pursue your dream career.
Soccer is one of the biggest sports in the US, and players have gone on to play for some of the biggest teams in Europe.
Although it takes time and effort to achieve it, your chances of making it to top-level soccer remain strong.
Here are some practical steps that will guide you to join a soccer academy in America in 2024.
1. Get scouted
This is the simplest answer I can give to you. The easiest way to get into any soccer academy is to get scouted by a pro soccer scout first.
You can't sit at home and expect to be found by scouts, right? You need to be out there.
But how do you get scouted? I know of people who were eager to accelerate their career in the sport, but they'd faced hurdles due to the unavailability of an opportunity to do so.
So how would you find yourself before a scout? You need to be out there.
- Play for local clubs or training
Trust me, there are scouts out there on your local soccer pitch watching youngsters play and eventually picking them up for their respective teams.
This is an avenue to showcase your skills and eventually get picked. You do not need money or third-party help to do so. Simply head to your local soccer stadium and be part of the team.
This will not only boost your chances of getting picked up by scouts; it will also help in the development of your skills.
If you are consistent and showcase the potential, you will likely get an opportunity to meet a scout who will connect you with an academy or a soccer club.
To boost your chances, play a simple game and avoid being skilled. These days, scouts are only after intelligent and smart players.
So you need to impress and standout by playing a simple game by helping your team and playing effectively in your position.
2. Attend soccer camps
In America, soccer organizations are consistently soccer camps and clinics to promote and rediscover young talents across the country.
It would interest you to know that some of the biggest soccer teams in Europe, including FC Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Sporting CP, and AS Monaco, regularly hold soccer camps.
Soccer camps are avenues that would help you get picked by clubs. Not only that, you will learn a lot from it as teams help you master other areas of the game you are yet to know about.
Since your main objective is getting picked up by a team, you need to be at your best by playing at a high level.
Trust me, two out of five scouts will pay close attention to you if they find the traits in you.
The thing is, if you play better than your peers and more organizations at a higher level, your chances of getting picked become high. It is tough for clubs to let go of potential in their team.
Get started by listening to jingles or going through billboards without information regarding soccer camps. Your local newspaper could be another place to start.
You could also search online for soccer camps near you.
3. Attend Open Trials
What are open trials? Well, they are a one-off soccer event that is organized with the aim of selecting talented players.
It could be organized by a professional soccer team, an amateur academy, or a soccer development team.
If you are looking to join an academy, then one of the first steps is to attend open trials.
In the United States, most academies conduct open trials to select young players for their team. You can check out when the next MLS tryouts will hold across to country.
The beauty of an open trial is if it offers you an opponent to showcase your skills and potentially earn a chance to be picked up by coaches and scouts.
It is demanding; it is sometimes a one-off event that will last for a few hours or days depending on what they are trying to achieve.
If you want to succeed, then you must play to your strengths, your skills, and at a higher level than your peers.
4. Contact the soccer academy
Another alternative you could try is contacting soccer academies directly. I can acknowledge that it is often not an easy process for you, but it is worth the time and effort.
You could try reaching the local soccer academy near you instead of going for already established ones.
There are ways you could do this that would increase your chances of getting an audience from them.
- Send an email
Record a short video of yourself and show highlights of your potential. Play to your strength and ensure you are unique.
The next step is to send it to the official email address and wait for a response before taking the next step. If you got no response, you could try again.
- Contact through phone
Some academics have contacts that are publicly available. You could make a call today.
- Visit to the academy
Another direct alternative is to visit the academy directly. You are expected to go with your parent or guardian to increase your likelihood of getting an audience.
And go along with clips showing highlights of your potential.
5. Relocate to a region with a high interest in soccer
Soccer is one of the biggest sports in America, and teams are constantly on the lookout for young and talented players.
But there are a lot of factors that influence your chances of getting picked, one of which is the availability of soccer-related activities in your region.
In the US, some of the regions with a high interest in soccer include Washington, Texas, New Jersey, Los Angeles, Seattle, and Florida.
You could relocate to regions with a high interest in soccer. There you would find a lot of opportunities that would boost your chances of getting picked.
6. Join a High Performance Academy
You could join a high-performance soccer team. They are companies meant for players who are willing to play professional soccer.
High Performance Academy combines soccer development with a secondary education to help their students develop while pursuing their dream career.
7. MLS Next Tryouts
MLS Next was recently established to help the growth of the game in the country.
Major League Soccer clubs organize tryouts at the beginning of the soccer season to select young aspiring players and admit them into their team.
You should keep an eye on the MLS Next Open Trials and attend whenever it is held. You could do so by visiting the official website of these teams for more information.
8. Upload Highlights of You online
This is also an idea you should consider. These days, a lot of people use social media, especially X, where teams regularly post updates.
You could use these platforms to promote yourself.
Simply record highlights, posts on social media, including hashtags, mentions of teams, and follow-up.
What are the benefits of a soccer academy?
- Access to professional training facilities
You would have exclusive access to professional soccer training facilities available for you at the academy.
Apart from that, you will have the chance to be trained by experienced coaches who will help in your development.
- Improved fitness
There is a big difference between staying at home and playing alongside your peers at an academy.
This is because you will be under strict terms, meaning you will train regularly under the team's schedule.
Regular training will help your body system and improve your game.
- Teamwork and social connection
Being part of an academy gives you the opportunity to be part of other people who share similar visions.
You could meet people that will likely aid in your development as a player. You also stand the chance of learning teamwork, as it is the standard practice in professional soccer today.
Some of the best soccer academy in America
Soccer is one of the biggest sports in the US, and young Americans have continued to seek a career through it.
The increased interest in the sport has led to the emergence of new academies. But to get the best, you need to join the best.
IMG Academy
IMG Academy is a multi-sport academy based in Florida. It is a preparatory boarding school that combines academics and sports.
It has some state-of-the art facilities for various sporting activities and programs for youths, adults, college, and professional soccer.
IMG is ranked as one of the best soccer academies in the US due to their performance historically.
Philadelphia United Academy
Philadelphia United Soccer Academy is in charge of player recruitment and training.
It is the development team for the MLS soccer team Philadelphia United.
Some of the team's best legs usually make it into the first team in the MLS.
Real Salt Lake City Academy
Another soccer academy with a good track record on my list is Real Salt Lake City.
FC Dallas Academy
FC Dallas Academy is well known for producing young talents in the country.
The team has been known for producing young talents who have gone on to join major soccer teams, including Europe.
New York Red Bulls
Another name on the list of the best soccer academies in the United States is the New York Red Bull Soccer Academy.
The academy consists of different stages providing professional training.
LA Galaxy Soccer Academy
LA Galaxy is a household name in American soccer, and it is not a surprise that they have a good academy in America.
Their talent development team has produced some of the best young players in the country.
Barcelona Soccer Academy
Arguably one of the best in the world, Barcelona established its academy in the US that has continued to produce some of the best legs.
San Diego Surf SC
Weston FC
Vardar Soccer Academy
Conclusion
To join a soccer academy in America or in the US is not as hard as people think, but it is achievable with practical steps.